RoyalBlu

Actually (using Kenpom) the tournaments are pretty comparable. Both teams have relatively easy openers, potential second round matchups are pretty close as well. However, if Zips advance to title game, their potential matchup (Drake 75) is distinctly higher than any team Kent might play in the finals. Overall, Akron (84) and Drake are higher than every team in the Kent tournament. Based on Kenpom, both teams should be favored into the finals.

I thought so too, before the season, but BG not quite what I thought out of the gate. Will evaluate again come Christmas.

I'm guessing some grades from Akron did not transfer to Butler ... but it probably didn't matter because it was his first transfer. There's Scuttlebutt Ali was not at his best, academically, at Butler. Am guessing many of his Butler grades did not transfer back to Akron ... HOWEVER ... his old Akron grades are now back in play. The issue could now be two-fold. 1) Ali needed to get grades to be eligible, which was likely accomplished over the summer and first semester. 2) He could also need the hours to qualify as a grad student. IT'S ALL JUST A GUESS ... but what else do we have to work with. He could be 'eligible' but the NCAA could deny waiver because it is his second transfer. The easiest way to beat the 2nd transfer rule is to be a 'grad student.'

Believe the last reasonable hope is Ali has picked up enough credits to be a 'grad student' by the semester break and is eligible then. If that's not the issue, I agree NCAA odds are not in his favor. BUT ... with the plethora of on-line courses and available tutors, shame on Akron if that is indeed the issue and this can't get done.

KENPOM this evening is interesting today ... https://kenpom.com/ No. 78 Duquesne .. 81 Akron ... 85 James Madison ... 108 Ohio ... 113 Toledo .. 114 Kent ... 115 Fresno ... 135 South Dakota State ... 150 Cleveland State ... 159 Southern Mississippi. Observation: Losing at home (Kent/South Dakota State) is a bummer while winning on the road (Akron/JMU) is a plus ... BUT .. doesn't explain JMU (2 quality road wins) below Akron and Duquesne (only home wins) ahead of Akron ... or Ohio over 40 spots ahead of CSU after head to head road loss. As I said ... INTERESTING

Really early in the season for some of this ... as I recall, Zips blew a lead this week as well. We all should wait a couple of weeks before we start pointing fingers. Looking at the other side of the coin, it seems the Zips had their issues with CSU during a recent scrimmage. KSU should have won vs. the early-season Cinderella team, and led a mid-level Mountain West team stem to stern. Both probably better than South Dakota State. Zips chances are coming ... let's focus on that instead of the trials of others.

Agree with this. A Thanksgiving-weekend double-header rotation would be great, along with this Sun Belt Challenge would put some spice into the non-con schedule. Add in a strong holiday tournament somewhere and a P5 road by game and the schedule would be pretty solid.

Really interesting but has the Ali Ali situation been addressed by Groce and/or the media at all?????? I mean, the season has started.

Should be MAC 8-4 ... but we all know why.

Simple formula ... win all games at home, split (or better) on the road. Zips are on target.

FYI, the Kent player on the pushoff/flop was Sincere Carry's (half) brother. Agree, just get the ball inbounds. That's an aggressive play you try when you're down two late, not up. Also, agree, thought JMU player not just moved on the screen, but got a pretty good shove into the Kent player to free the guy for the layup. Tough MAC loss, no matter what team. MAC needs to win games like these, especially the top tier teams.

Get used to this ... Bobcats are really small w/no real size or presence inside. Loads of guards/wings however which points to a lot of press and trap, at least early in the season. Let's see how long into the season it holds up.

Any word on when he'll be eligible ...

In Portage County, Thursday night. Interesting.

Excellent job Zips ... maybe best MAC win of the night.

Hours before the season opener I'm guessing the best-case scenario for the Zips and Ali Ali is he will be cleared by the NCAA to play starting the second semester. Rumored transfer issues re: academics seems to hold some water at this point as he would have been cleared to play long before now if he was a grad student, either at the time of his transfer or at the end of the summer sessions. What's not known is if there were any extenuating circumstances that played to Akron/Ali's benefit with the NCAA to grant immediate eligibility with a second transfer. Traditionally this would be transferring back to his home state to be closer to family for any number of reasons. BUT, Ali is transferring away from his home state to be back at Akron. Which is against the norm. Also what's not known is how much or how little Butler is helping this process, although Groce and Butler coach Matta have a long-standing relationship. Whatever the outcome, overall, typical NCAA foot-dragging that does not seem to happen much further up the D1 totem pole. Then again, Ali could be cleared to play by game time tonight!!!

Agree this is a 'challenging' schedule with many 'maybe' games. But let's not fool ourselves. Zips will have to run the non-conference table to even get into the conversation out being a potential at-large/Cinderella team. While truly 'challenging' there is no magic bullet (P6) upset opportunity on this schedule this year that would carry any weight into the post season, even for the NIT. As stated many times ... season comes down to three days in March.

Absolutely ...

I sense a lot of 'hope' but no explicit confidence from Groce on having Ali Ali this season. Anyone read it differently?

Interesting: Coaches see Zips as dominant with 11 first place votes and a 17-point spread between first and second place. Next biggest spread is 8-points between No. 5 NIU and No. 6 BG/Miami. Basically a top and bottom league.

The MAC is considered a 'guards' league ... but interesting that teams with the best 'proven returning guards' are picked third and fifth by the coaches. ... I believe Akron is a certain title contender, but with talented but unproven guards and still undetermined Ali Ali situation, the closer it gets to the start of the season the more uneasy it all seems.

Would really like to know what the 'secret scrimmage' format was: Was it a 'game scrimmage' w/20-minute halfs and a break in between. Was it officiated? Was the scrimmage 2 20-minute halfs, 1-on-1s, 2-on-2s. Officiated? Was it more structured? 20-min man-to-man, 20-min zone and so forth? Was it fully officiated. As you can see, these 'secret scrimmages' can have a variety of formats. So the final 'score' may not be really indicative of a true 'game' score. And again, officiating (or none) could make a difference as well. In the end, not too bummed about the score.

I know nothing ... (wish I did) ... I am questioning if he is eligible. I haven't seen or heard any official or unofficial word either from this board or from the athletic department. That's why I hedged a bit on Zips being consensus MAC favorites. Like I said ... Zips are certainly MAC favorites w/Ali, but just one of several contenders w/o him. Hoping for the best ... but just my opinion.

The big unknown ... X2. Was Ali Ali a participant in the YSU scrimmage, and has there been any confirmation Ali Ali is eligible for the season? Having asked those questions I will say the Zips should still be solid contenders to win the MAC, but perhaps not solid favorites as they are now w/o Ali. That said, there truly is no solid MAC favorite, if the Zips aren't it. Ali lifts Akron above Ohio, Toledo and Portage, his loss just puts the Zips beside those three. At that point, the deciding factor is the best coach among the four. Hmmmm. Wouldn't want to put that to a vote (even knowing the answer) to keep from delivering bulletin board material.